Main initiator of dialog with authorities arrested for 15 days

Viktar Ivashkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front, was sentenced to 15 days of arrest by Central District Court of Minsk.

The politician was detained on 10 December in Chyrvonaya Street, which is 2 kilometers from Kastrychnitskaya Square, where a meeting of entrepreneurs was taking place. As there were no reasons for imputing, he was cynically accused of “using obscene language.”

As human rights defender Uladzimer Labkovich has said to the Charter’97 press center, the officers of riot police confounded in evidence on the trial, contradicted each other. No of the passers-by came to the trial as witnesses, though, according to the report, Ivashkevich disturbed the people by “swinging his arms and using obscene language.” In spite of absence of evidence of Ivashkevich’s guilt, judge Alyaksei Bychko sentenced politician to 15 day of arrest.

“Trial over Ivashkevich has nothing in common with laws. Law isn’t observed in our country, and all norms, guaranteeing human rights are defied. Evidence of riot police are beneath criticism, they contradict the materials of case. Using the article “minor hooliganism” against the oppositionist shows cynics of the authorities, demonstrates their readiness to organize repressions by all means,” human right activist U. Labkovich said in the interview to the Charter’97 press center.

Moreover, the officers of riot police were humiliating the detained. They guarded him to the court room without glasses, though the politician has myopia. As it was found out, policemen from Central District Police Department took glasses away from Ivashkevich.

The politician spent a night in the special prison facility in Akrestin Street. He filed two petitions to the court today – on calling a lawyer for him and on necessity to give his glasses back.

At first judge Bychko refused to consider a petition on giving back glasses. He said “Let a lawyer read all materials of the case.” But later, after Ivashkevich repeated his request, he had to agree. The policemen went the department to bring him glasses, and the politician was placed in the cell in the court room.

Viktar Ivashkevich is deputy head of the BPF Party, and head of the organizing committee of the European March. He always speaks for the dialog with the authorities to preserve the independence of Belarus. He was one of the initiators of writing a letter to the president’s administration, was ready to meet with the authorities and discuss problems, the country has faced. “There is a choice before the whole Belarusian society, before the government and the opposition: go to Europe or be swallowed by Russia. Dialog between the authorities and the opposition is needed to organize effective dialog with Europe,” Viktar Ivashkevich said.

Before his arrest Viktar Ivashkevich urged Belarusians to come out to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk on 12 December ahead of Vladimir Putin’s visit.

“Taking into account a threat that president Putin will press on Lukashenka, we want come out and demonstrate there are many people in Belarus who will never agree to lose the independence. I hope, the Belarusian authorities will not hinder the will of expressing of Belarusians. I call all journalists and diplomats to control in what degree the behaviour of the authorities would be civilised,” Viktar Ivashkevich said in the interview to the Charter’97 press center.